an ordinary life

every time I think of home,
my eyes wander out
somewhere across
these fragile shells
and this drab landscape,
to an unreachable meeting place
I love to yearn for, strive for,
so I have work to do,

and then, sometimes,
in the yolk of a timeless pause,
where there are no legs to tread,
no eyes to open or close,
no arms to reach out with or hold,
no skin to feel or shed,
no ears to perk up or shut,
no breath to watch
moving in and out,
I am laid to rest
in the hearth
of this everyday life -

buzzing with noises,
emails and whatsapp messages,
my facebook feed,
and hungry stomachs to feed,
skins to cover and clean,
irritating people and their beliefs,
news from across the world,
dishes to be done,
clothes to be folded,
friends to speak to or not,
thoughts on a train to nowhere,
feelings I must dip into and out,

yes, life has a way
to wake us up,
every now and then,
from workshops and retreats,
our endless quests as tourists,
our meticulous,clinical dealings,
our hypochondriacal beliefs,
into the simple ordinariness
of this one extraordinary life.